William h



(No Modei.)

W. H. HALL.

UONKNEGTING 391) FOR BRICK MACHINES. 'No.'448,231. :Patented Mar. 17", 1891 Zbiinemw: Invent NHEB STATES WILLIAM Hi HALL, OF TIFFIN, i'JHIO.

CONNECTlNG=ROD FOR BRl$K=-MACH1NE$.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. $48,231, dated March 17, 1891.

Application filed January 11, 1890. Serial ll'o'. 336,685. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, VViLLIAM ll. HALL. a citizen'of the United States, residingntlifiin, in the county of Seneca and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Connecting-Rods, of which ,the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of connecting-rods or pilmen employed for pressing --the bricks in brick-machines and for analogous purposes in other mechanism,- and it consists, first, in improved means for ad- 'justing thelength of the pitman, and,second,

in an improved construction by which the pitman may yield to excessive strains.

1 have illustrated my invention as applied to the pitrnan of a brick-machine. H

I In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevatlon of a. brick-machine provided with one of my improved pitmen. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the pitman. Fig. 3 is a. longitudinal section of the same, and Fig. -l is a perspective view of the same.

A represents the frame of a ln-ick-nmchine; B, a press-box; O, a. plunger, and D a connecting-rod or pitinan operated by a crank-arm E,

mounted on an actuating-shaft or other suitable means. The connocting-rod'is provided at one end with a box f, havinga bceringf, to which the crankarm h. is journaied. The boxfis adapted to slide in a slot in the connecting-rod l) and to be guided on the walls (I, d of the slot. To this box is hinged a link h, which is jointed at its other end to a second link h, which in turn is hinged to a rigid part of the pitman. A set-screwi takes through n cross-piccej, connecting the slotwvalls nearly over the middle link-joint. 3y this set-screw the middle joint may be forced out of line with the two end link-joints and against the resistance of'a spring Ir. spring is regulated by a setscrew l, taking through one of the links. It is obvious that if the plung meets with an excessive resist once, such as would be occasioned by the interposition of a foreign substance,-lil e astone or piece of iron, the crank-arm continuing its motion will cause the box f to slide in theslot in the connecting-rod D and force the middle link-joint, which is set out of line with the two end joints, still iert-heroutcf line, against the resistance of the spring, time relieving the of a;connecting-rod, a box adapted to slide The tension of this pit'man and its connections from the strain that otherwise might break or damage the machine. As soon as the excessive strain is relieved the spring will fcrcethe middlelinkjoint into its normal position. By adjust-ingthe angle of the links by means of the setscrew 6 and the tension of the spring the amount of strain-to which the pitman will yield may be regulated. By making the combined length ofthe links in the yielding rod slightly longer than the slot the adjusting screwd may be dispensed with; but I prefer to provide adjusting devices for both" the linksand the spring.

The connectingrod is provided with a bearingd', into which a wheel 0 is adapted to take, the points of contact of the wheel with the bearing being equidistant from the center of the former. 'lhe periphery of th wheel 0 is provided with suitable gear 0, into which a. worm in meshes, the worm being operated by a hand-wheel n. The wheel 0 also provided with an eccentric bearing ,1), to which the plunger-(J maybe coupled. 'lnrning thehandwheel it rotates the wheel 0, raising or lowering the eccentric hearing, thereby lengthen: ing or shortening the distance between it and thcbearingf' in the box f, to which the crank arm E is jonrnaled, in effect lengthening or shortening the connectingrod. This construction permits of a very delicate adjustment, which may be made quickly and readily without disconnecting any parts, and one which will lock itself against disturbance from any other source than the hand-wheel.

I clain1- 1. The combination, in a yielding pitman,

therein, two or more jointed. links, one end of the. series hinged to said hon and they other hinged to the comiecting-rod, and a spring resisting outward movcmen bet the joints connecting the links, snbstan tiallyasend forthe purpose specified.

2. The combination,in a yioldingrpitman, of the boxf, sliding in a slot in the connecting rod D, link h, jointed to said sliding box, a second link h, jointed to link h at one end and at its other hinged to the connecting-rod, set-screw 1', spring; Jr, and sensor-cw 1., substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3'. The combination. in spit/man, of a hear ing at each end thereef a wheel taking into one of the bearings and capable of being r0- tated therein, the points of contact of the wheel with the bearing being equidistant from its center, an eccentric bearing for the wheel, and a worm and worm-wheel for turning' the latter, combined and operating to lengthen or shorten the distance between the eccentric hearing at one end of the pitman and the hearing at the other-e'nd thereof, sub- :0 stantiallyas and for the purpose specified.

WILLIAM'H. HALL Witnesses:

ROBERT LYSLE, L. D. BIGGER. 

